Reclusive American actor Randolph Scott, known for his subtle, dignified performances in almost 60 westerns, has been called the "most genuine Westerner." His career began in 1928 with the first of several bit parts; his first starring role was 1932's Heritage of the Desert. He fought in World War I, studying horsemanship, shooting, and bayoneting, and acted in a variety of films in every genre from musical to swashbuckler. His final film was Ride the High Country (1962)....

Budd Boetticher (1916-2001) was a bullfighter, a pleasant madman and a talented journeyman filmmaker who could--with the right material and drive--create a minor Western film classic as easily as he could kill a bull. Yet pain and passion naturally mixed in both endeavors. Drawing on studio archives and featuring insightful interviews with Boetticher and those who worked with him, this retrospective looks at each of his 33 films in detail, covering his cinematic career from his days as an ...

The Squatters & Others is a collection of 47 short stories which covers a whole range of completely different and varied subjects. There are tales involving an unexpected encounter with an alligator, evicting a ghost from a haunted house, how not to run a venture capital company, running a fleet of lorries, when not to play golf, fishing for conger eels and when not to turn your back on a florist. In fact, something for everybody.

Director Sam Peckinpah was just starting out when MGM released Ride the High Country in 1962. He was a new kind of director: young, brash, and in a hurry to help the Western "grow up" by treating it with adult themes. Ride the High Country was something new and different, a changing Western to match a changing West. Stars Randolph Scott and Joel McCrea were old hands at this sort of thing. Ride the High Country gave the two veteran actors one last job to do and a...

Journalist, presenter, broadcaster, husband, father, vigorous all-rounder: Alan Partridge. Star of action blockbuster Alpha Papa; a man with a fascinating past and an amazing future.I Partridge: We Need To Talk About Alan is the memoir of Alan Partridge, the nation’s favourite broadcaster. It is a work of heart-breaking majesty.Genuinely one of the best books of the last fifteen to twenty years, I, Partridge charts the highs, lows and middle bits in the life of one of Europ...

Eddie Mannix and Howard Strickling are virtually unknown outside of Hollywood and little-remembered even there, but as General Manager and Head of Publicity for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, they lorded over all the stars in Hollywood's golden age from the 1920s through the 1940s--including legends like Garbo, Dietrich, Gable and Garland. When MGM stars found themselves in trouble, it was Eddie and Howard who took care of them--solved their problems, hid their crimes, and kept their secrets...

Welcome to the weird and wonderful world of "Bumble", the legendary SkySports cricket commentator who's one ball short of an over and delivers madcap moments galore in this ebullient, endearing and hilarious book.David "Bumble" Lloyd is a legend in our living rooms, a genuine "good bloke" all cricket fans feel they know inside out because of his infectious, larger-than-life personality and that distinctive Lancashire burr.Bumble has become the one constant for passionate En...

A corrupt prime minister uses current anti-terror laws to Orwellian extremes in this “sophisticated, engrossing, and important political thriller” (The Washington Post).In a near-future England, there are still concerns about terrorism, the press is still feisty, and the prime minister is about to call a general election. But unknown even to most government officials, new technology and anti-terror laws have been used to establish unprecedented control ove...

Some sample anecdotes; 1) When his two sons were attending UCLA, comedian Joe E. Brown was invited to join his sons' fraternity—provided that he become an undergraduate. Mr. Brown paid the tuition and even attended a physics class, where he challenged the professor's statements and even asserted that Albert Einstein had called him for advice. (This was a somewhat true statement, but of course Mr. Einstein hadn't called Mr. Brown for advice about physics.) After the class was over, the prof...

As seen on This Time with Alan Partridge on BBC One.THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERPraise for Nomad:'Funniest book of the year' Sunday Telegraph'Alan Partridge's Nomad is almost certainly the funniest book ever written' Caitlin Moran'Sensationally funny. What brilliant writing' Richard Osman'Sensational' Jenny Colgan'Hilarious' Jon Ronson'Brilliantly...

Prince William and Kate Middleton's fairytale romance is the greatest love story of the century, with a happy ending to come – a Royal wedding that will truly capture the hearts of the British people.Will was the boy who would one day be king; Kate was the middle class girl who had harboured a crush on him since her school days. Both were new students at the University of St Andrews in 2001, facing the same challenges that any new student faces – away from the family nest and striv...

Are you a fan of frank Sinatra? Have you seen every film he made? Do you know all there is to know about the man and his music? Then why not put your knowledge to the test with this tribute to the legendary entertainer?Frank Sinatra first appeared on the music scene in the 1940s and quickly went on to become one of the world’s best loved stars, producing a string of popular hits and appearing in a number of unforgettable films. In a career that spanned six decades, the veteran crooner deli...